IPL 2021: "In their last 2 matches, they looked like a champion team" - Deep Dasgupta cites late starts as the reason behind MI's surprise exit 

Deep Dasgupta noted how the Mumbai Indians' (MI) tendency to start late in IPL tournaments became their undoing in this edition. The defending champions missed out on a playoff spot on the basis of net run rate. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) claimed the final spot.

MI began the season with a defeat to the RCB and began the second leg of the competition with 3 defeats in a row. A poor start to the UAE leg put a dent in their playoffs hopes. Despite garnering momentum towards the end of the league stage, it was too little, too late for them.

Dasgupta also cited the poor form of middle-order batsmen Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan as a major reason behind their failure. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Dasgupta said:

"The problem is that they start late and this season was broken in two halves. In their last 2 matches, they looked like a champion team, the flow was coming back. The form of Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav was quite poor in the second leg barring the final game. Thier middle order is their biggest strength."

The Mumbai Indians did not qualify for the playoffs for the first time since the 2018 season and failed in their conquest for an iconic three-peat.

Punjab would have been in the top 4 of IPL 2021: Dasgupta

Much like the Mumbai Indians, the Punjab Kings (PBKS) also missed out on the playoffs. The 2014 finalists will have a lot of regret after having lost out on several matches from winning positions and losing valuable points in the process.

Dasgupta noted that had PBKS got over the line in matches that they were on course to win, they would have finished with 16 points. It would have sealed a place in the IPL 2021 playoffs for PBKS. Dasgupta added:

"Punjab Kings were the most entertaining franchise because almost all of their matches went to the final over. Punjab would have been in the top 4 easily but they could not get over the line in 2-3 matches that they should have won. Punjab as a team looks good to me, but again, winning those crucial moments is where they struggled.'

The franchise's middle order has faced a lot of scrutiny for their inability to finish off IPL games. KL Rahul's approach has been a pivotal part of the discussions as well.